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Two residents reported seeing a canister, about 1 liter or 1 quart in size, smoldering along the shoreline of the lake near the Biltmore Lake club house and Lake Drive, said Bill McMannis, on-site manager for Biltmore Lake.

County Dispatchers received a call about 6:46 p.m. reporting a small fire, according to notes at the Buncombe County Emergency Operations Center.

The Enka-Candler Fire Department arrived on scene shortly after to investigate, but in their efforts two firemen were injured, Assistant Chief Josh Howard said.

When firefighters attempted to extinguish the material by kicking dirt over it, the material exploded, McMannis said.

“At that point, they realized they weren’t dealing with the ordinary,” he said.

The firemen were transported to Mission Hospital with first- and second-degree burns to their hands and faces and released later Tuesday night, Howard said.

Following the explosion, the Asheville Fire Department's Hazmat Team performed a test and determined the substance was phosphoric acid. Firefighters then let the material burn on its own until the fire was out.

Officials said there was a small canister near the chemical, but they don't know if the chemical was inside that container or just along the shoreline.

One firefighter described the can as 4 to 5 inches large, similar to the size of a drink can, Howard said.

Officials believe the material began to smolder and burn after it was exposed to the air along the shoreline because of lake levels being down by seven feet, McMannis said. In recent weeks, the lake has been drained to perform dredging, which is part of a restoration project.

McMannis said the Enka-Candler Fire Department suspects the material had been in the lake since the 1940s by the corrosion that appeared on the canister.

As to how the canister ended up in the lake, no one knows, he added.

"It was very unusual," Howard said. "We don't know where it came from or why it was there and that will remain a question."

Firefighters were at the lake until about 9:30 p.m.

MccMannis said the Biltmore Lake Community Association plans to take steps after this incident by performing a sweep of the lake to make sure there are no other suspicious canisters and will clean up exposed debris.

The Association hired Mountain Environmental, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency for an inspection and clean up process. Exposed debris that is found around the lake will be inspected and Mountain Environmental will handle its disposal, McMannis said.

“We don’t want to have any more surprises in the lake,” McMannis said.

While officials perform their inspection and handle clean up over the next several days, residents are encouraged to stay clear of the shoreline areas that are exposed by the lowered lake level. Children are specifically warned to not venture near the exposed shoreline and to stay on areas of land that are normally dry.